Documenting reality
by alexandernewton | created - 09 Mar 2020 | updated - 17 Mar 2020 | PublicCollection of interesting feature length documentary films
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1. Catastroika (2012)
87 min | Documentary
The creators of Debtocracy, analyze the shifting of state assets to private hands. They travel round the world gathering data on privatization and search for clues on the day after Greece's massive privatization program.
Directors: Aris Chatzistefanou, Katerina Kitidi | Stars: Dean Baker, Alex Callinicos, Costas Douzinas, Ben Fine
Votes: 594
2. Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
G | 105 min | Documentary, Music
Aging Cuban musicians whose talents had been virtually forgotten following Castro's takeover of Cuba, are brought out of retirement by Ry Cooder, who travelled to Havana in order to bring the musicians together, resulting in triumphant performances of extraordinary music, and resurrecting the musicians' careers.
Director: Wim Wenders | Stars: Compay Segundo, Ibrahim Ferrer, Rubén González, Octavio Calderon
Votes: 20,548 | Gross: $7.00M
3. Manufactured Landscapes (2006)
Unrated | 86 min | Documentary
Photographer Edward Burtynsky travels the world observing changes in landscapes due to industrial work and manufacturing.
Director: Jennifer Baichwal | Star: Edward Burtynsky
Votes: 3,063 | Gross: $0.24M
4. Let It Come Down: The Life of Paul Bowles (1998)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary, Biography
Director: Jennifer Baichwal | Stars: Paul Bowles, William S. Burroughs, Cherifa, Mohammed Choukri
Votes: 133 | Gross: $0.01M
5. World on a Wire (1973)
Not Rated | 212 min | Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Somewhere in the future there is a computer project called Simulacron one of which is able to simulate a full featured reality, when suddenly project leader Henry Vollmer dies. His ... See full summary »
Stars: Klaus Löwitsch, Barbara Valentin, Mascha Rabben, Karl Heinz Vosgerau
Votes: 6,783
6. The White Diamond (2004)
Not Rated | 88 min | Documentary
Engineers attempt daring journey above Guyanese rainforest canopy with airship prototype. Adventure fraught with risks, as previous expedition ended tragically. This is a unique story of exploring uncharted jungle from the air.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Werner Herzog, Graham Dorrington, Dieter Plage, Adrian de Schryver
Votes: 4,954
7. Grizzly Man (2005)
R | 103 min | Documentary, Biography
A devastating and heart-rending take on grizzly bear activists Timothy Treadwell and Amie Huguenard, who were killed in October of 2003 while living among grizzly bears in Alaska.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Timothy Treadwell, Amie Huguenard, Werner Herzog, Carol Dexter
Votes: 61,909 | Gross: $3.17M
8. Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
PG-13 | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
Director: Malik Bendjelloul | Stars: Rodriguez, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman, Dennis Coffey, Mike Theodore
Votes: 72,921 | Gross: $3.97M
9. Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)
R | 87 min | Documentary, Comedy, Crime
Following the style of some of the world's most prolific street artists, an amateur filmmaker makes a foray into the art world.
Director: Banksy | Stars: Banksy, Mr. Brainwash, Space Invader, Debora Guetta
Votes: 68,834 | Gross: $3.29M
10. The Act of Killing (2012)
Not Rated | 117 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers.
Directors: Joshua Oppenheimer, Anonymous, Christine Cynn | Stars: Anwar Congo, Herman Koto, Syamsul Arifin, Ibrahim Sinik
Votes: 40,818 | Gross: $0.49M
11. Finding Fela (2014)
Not Rated | 119 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A look at the life and music of Nigerian singer Fela Kuti.
Director: Alex Gibney | Stars: Fela Kuti, Yeni Kuti, Femi Kuti, Seun Kuti
Votes: 849
12. The Salt of the Earth (2014)
PG-13 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, History
The life and work of photographer Sebastião Salgado, who has spent forty years documenting societies in hidden corners of the world.
Directors: Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders | Stars: Sebastião Salgado, Wim Wenders, Lélia Wanick Salgado, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado
Votes: 23,468 | Gross: $1.34M
13. Dig! (2004)
R | 107 min | Documentary, Music
A documentary on the once-promising American rock bands The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, and the friendship/rivalry between their respective founders, Anton Newcombe and Courtney Taylor.
Director: Ondi Timoner | Stars: Anton Newcombe, Courtney Taylor-Taylor, Joel Gion, Matt Hollywood
Votes: 6,691 | Gross: $0.13M
14. The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2005)
PG-13 | 110 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Daniel Johnston, manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist is revealed in this portrait of madness, creativity and love.
Director: Jeff Feuerzeig | Stars: Daniel Johnston, Mabel Johnston, Bill Johnston, Laurie Allen
Votes: 10,535 | Gross: $0.33M
15. Scott Walker: 30 Century Man (2006)
Not Rated | 95 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
A documentary on the influential musician Scott Walker.
Director: Stephen Kijak | Stars: Sara Kestelman, Arnie Potts, Jarvis Cocker, Scott Walker
Votes: 1,542
16. Journey to Mecca (2009)
45 min | Drama, History
One of the greatest travellers in human history, twenty-one-year-old law student Ibn Battutah set out alone to Mecca from Tangiers in 1325 and returned to Morocco almost thirty years later.... See full summary »
Director: Bruce Neibaur | Stars: Chems-Eddine Zinoune, Hassam Ghancy, Essam Edriss, Nabil Elouahabi
Votes: 567
17. The Pervert's Guide to Ideology (2012)
Not Rated | 136 min | Documentary
Philosopher Slavoj Zizek examines the hidden themes and existential questions asked by world renowned films.
Director: Sophie Fiennes | Star: Slavoj Zizek
Votes: 7,529 | Gross: $0.07M
18. Samsara (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 102 min | Documentary, Music
Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.
Director: Ron Fricke | Stars: Balinese Tari Legong Dancers, Ni Made Megahadi Pratiwi, Puti Sri Candra Dewi, Putu Dinda Pratika
Votes: 38,056 | Gross: $2.67M
19. Baraka (1992)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary
A collection of expertly photographed scenes of human life and religion.
Director: Ron Fricke | Star: Patrick Disanto
Votes: 40,998 | Gross: $1.33M
20. Poto and Cabengo (1979)
Not Rated | 77 min | Documentary
Identical young twin girls in the USA have invented their own shared language. Scientists are wanting to study the language but social workers are trying to get the twins to leave their ... See full summary »
Director: Jean-Pierre Gorin | Star: Jean-Pierre Gorin
Votes: 418
21. For Sama (2019)
TV-PG | 100 min | Documentary, Biography, War
FOR SAMA is both an intimate and epic journey into the female experience of war.
Directors: Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts | Stars: Waad Al-Kateab, Sama Al-Khateab, Hamza Al-Khateab, Afra
Votes: 12,823 | Gross: $0.04M
22. Honeyland (2019)
Unrated | 89 min | Documentary, Drama
The last female bee-hunter in Europe must save the bees and return the natural balance in Honeyland, when a family of nomadic beekeepers invade her land and threaten her livelihood.
Directors: Tamara Kotevska, Ljubomir Stefanov | Stars: Hatidze Muratova, Nazife Muratova, Hussein Sam, Ljutvie Sam
Votes: 19,417 | Gross: $0.82M
23. American Factory (2019)
TV-14 | 110 min | Documentary
In post-industrial Ohio, a Chinese billionaire opens a factory in an abandoned General Motors plant, hiring two thousand Americans. Early days of hope and optimism give way to setbacks as high-tech China clashes with working-class America.
Directors: Steven Bognar, Julia Reichert | Stars: Junming 'Jimmy' Wang, Robert Allen, Sherrod Brown, Dave Burrows
Votes: 23,881
24. The Edge of Democracy (2019)
TV-14 | 121 min | Documentary, History
Political documentary and personal memoir collide in this exploration into the complex truth behind the unraveling of two Brazilian presidencies.
Director: Petra Costa | Stars: Dilma Rousseff, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Marisa Letícia Lula da Silva, Sergio Moro
Votes: 15,732
25. Edvard Munch (1974 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 210 min | Biography, Drama, History
This biopic of Norwegian Expressionist painter Edvard Munch focuses on the influences that shaped his art, his devastating affair with a married woman that will haunt him for the rest of his life
Director: Peter Watkins | Stars: Geir Westby, Gro Fraas, Kerstii Allum, Eric Allum
Votes: 3,381 | Gross: $0.04M
26. The Look of Silence (2014)
PG-13 | 103 min | Documentary, Biography, History
A family that survived the genocide in Indonesia confronts the men who killed one of their brothers.
Director: Joshua Oppenheimer | Stars: Adi Rukun, M.Y. Basrun, Volker Hanisch, Amir Hasan
Votes: 13,889 | Gross: $0.11M
27. Our Daily Bread (2005)
Not Rated | 92 min | Documentary
OUR DAILY BREAD is a wide-screen tableau of a feast which isn't always easy to digest - and in which we all take part. A pure, meticulous and high-end film experience that enables the audience to form their own ideas.
Director: Nikolaus Geyrhalter | Stars: Claus Hansen Petz, Arkadiusz Rydellek, Barbara Hinz, Renata Wypchlo
Votes: 2,690
28. Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992)
Not Rated | 167 min | Documentary, Biography, War
A film about the noted American linguist/political dissident and his warning about corporate media's role in modern propaganda.
Directors: Mark Achbar, Peter Wintonick | Stars: Noam Chomsky, Mark Achbar, Karin Aguilar-San Juan, Paul Andrews
Votes: 4,936
29. The Corporation (2003)
Not Rated | 145 min | Documentary, History
Documentary that looks at the concept of the corporation throughout recent history up to its present-day dominance.
Directors: Mark Achbar, Jennifer Abbott | Stars: Mikela Jay, Rob Beckwermert, Christopher Gora, Nina Jones
Votes: 21,787 | Gross: $1.88M
30. The War on Democracy (2007)
Not Rated | 96 min | Documentary
Venezuela, Guatemala, Cuba, Chile, Salvador, Bolivia: people's struggle for democracy versus US imperialism in Latin America since the 1950s, backing coups and supporting dictatorships.
Directors: Chris Martin, John Pilger, Sean Crotty | Stars: John Pilger, Philip Agee, Salvador Allende, George Bush
Votes: 2,527
31. The Century of the Self (2002)
59 min | Documentary
A documentary about the rise of psychoanalysis as a powerful means of persuasion for both governments and corporations.
Stars: Adam Curtis, Robert Reich, Ann Bernays, Alfred Pritz
Votes: 6,362
32. The Power of Nightmares (2004)
60 min | Documentary, History
A series of three documentaries about the use of fear for political gain.
Stars: Gilles Kepel, William Kristol, Melvin Goodman, Richard Perle
Votes: 4,545
33. Human Resources: Social Engineering in the 20th Century (2010)
119 min | Documentary
Human Resources is a documentary about Social Control, examining the history, the philosophy and ultimately the pathology of elite power.
Director: Scott Noble | Stars: Michael Albert, Morris Bermann, Noam Chomsky, John Taylor Gatto
Votes: 176
34. Four Horsemen (2012)
Not Rated | 97 min | Documentary, News
The modern day Four Horsemen continue to ride roughshod over the people who can least afford it. Crises are converging when governments, religion and mainstream economists have stalled. 23 ... See full summary »
Director: Ross Ashcroft | Stars: Dominic Frisby, Gillian Tett, Lawrence Wilkerson, David Morgan
Votes: 2,919
35. When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun (2010)
Not Rated | 115 min | Documentary
Unfortunately, the 14th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people receive little political support in their drive to put an end to the Chinese brutal regime, as international governments are ... See full summary »
Director: Dirk Simon | Stars: Youdon Aukatsang, Bhusang, Tenzin Choeying, Tenzin Chogkyi
Votes: 115
36. Invisibles (2007)
95 min | Documentary, Drama
A series of short films examining the world's overlooked problems and the people who suffer from them.
Directors: Mariano Barroso, Isabel Coixet, Javier Corcuera, Fernando León de Aranoa, Wim Wenders | Stars: Lia Chapman, Luz-Neida Perdomo, Isabelle Stoffel
Votes: 419
37. Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media (1992)
Not Rated | 167 min | Documentary, Biography, War
A film about the noted American linguist/political dissident and his warning about corporate media's role in modern propaganda.
Directors: Mark Achbar, Peter Wintonick | Stars: Noam Chomsky, Mark Achbar, Karin Aguilar-San Juan, Paul Andrews
Votes: 4,936
38. When the Dragon Swallowed the Sun (2010)
Not Rated | 115 min | Documentary
Unfortunately, the 14th Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people receive little political support in their drive to put an end to the Chinese brutal regime, as international governments are ... See full summary »
Director: Dirk Simon | Stars: Youdon Aukatsang, Bhusang, Tenzin Choeying, Tenzin Chogkyi
Votes: 115
39. The Beaches of Agnès (2008)
Not Rated | 112 min | Documentary, Biography
Agnès Varda explores her memories, mostly chronologically, with photographs, film clips, interviews, reenactments, and droll, playful contemporary scenes of her narrating her story.
Director: Agnès Varda | Stars: Agnès Varda, André Lubrano, Blaise Fournier, Vincent Fournier
Votes: 4,785 | Gross: $0.24M
40. Man on Wire (2008)
PG-13 | 94 min | Documentary, Biography, Crime
A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century".
Director: James Marsh | Stars: Philippe Petit, Jean François Heckel, Jean-Louis Blondeau, Annie Allix
Votes: 58,684 | Gross: $2.96M
41.
The Wednesday Play (1964–1970)
Episode:
Cathy Come Home
(1966)
75 min | Drama
A wedding. Happy and promising. A young couple, new to the ways of life. The joys of parenthood: A dream comes true. Then the first incident in a long, spiraling chain of events, and down ... See full summary »
Director: Ken Loach | Stars: Carol White, Ray Brooks, Winifred Dennis, Wally Patch
Votes: 1,172
42. Grey Gardens (1975)
PG | 95 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
Meet a mother and daughter, high-society dropouts, reclusive cousins of Jackie O., managing to thrive together amid the decay and disorder of their East Hampton, NY, mansion, making for an eerily ramshackle echo of the American Camelot.
Directors: Ellen Hovde, Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Muffie Meyer | Stars: Edith Bouvier Beale, Edith 'Little Edie' Bouvier Beale, Brooks Hyers
Votes: 15,294 | Gross: $0.03M
43. Jodorowsky's Dune (2013)
PG-13 | 90 min | Documentary
The story of cult film director Alejandro Jodorowsky's ambitious but ultimately doomed film adaptation of the seminal science fiction novel.
Director: Frank Pavich | Stars: Alejandro Jodorowsky, Michel Seydoux, H.R. Giger, Chris Foss
Votes: 27,588 | Gross: $0.65M
44. Taxi (III) (2015)
Not Rated | 82 min | Comedy, Drama
Banned from making movies by the Iranian government, Jafar Panahi poses as a taxi driver and makes a movie about social challenges in Iran.
Director: Jafar Panahi | Stars: Jafar Panahi, Nasrin Sotoudeh
Votes: 16,548 | Gross: $0.32M
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